title: Consistency in the reporting of sensitive behaviors by adolescent American Indian women: a comparison of interviewing methods.
abstract: Computer-assisted interviewing techniques have increasingly been used in program and research settings to improve data collection quality and efficiency. Little is known, however, regarding the use of such techniques with American Indian (AI) adolescents in collecting sensitive information. This brief compares the consistency of AI adolescent mothers' reporting of sensitive sexual and drug use behaviors gathered through three distinct interviewing techniques: computer-assisted (ACASI), self-administered questionnaire (SAQ), and face-to-face interview (FTFI). Endorsement of drug use and reporting of sexual activity was highest for ACASI, followed by SAQ, and was significantly lower for FTFI. Relatively strong agreement was measured between ACASI and SAQ, and relatively poor agreement was measured between the ACASI and FTFI. Findings support the use of computer-assisted interviewing techniques with AI adolescents, and implications for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for American Indian Health, 621 North Washington Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. bmullany@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mullany
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barlow
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Neault
authors.forename: Trudy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Billy
authors.forename: Ranelda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hastings
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Coho-Mescal
authors.forename: Sherilyn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Walkup
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001130:Arizona / Q000453:epidemiology; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D014584:User-Computer Interface